A demon on the golf course: Greenwich High School star Danny Guise to bring his "A" game to Wake Forest

Jeremiah Delgado, Greenwich Citizen

Jeremiah Delgado, Special Correspondent

Published 6:24 pm, Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Greenwich High School golf star Dan Guise has led the Cardinals to two consecutive 21-0 seasons. Soon he will pack up his clubs and head to Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem NC, where he will play for the Deamon Deacons.
Photo: Bob Luckey

Greenwich High School golf star Dan Guise has led the Cardinals to...

"I wouldn't have gotten into golf if it wasn't for my dad," says GHS star Dan Guise, seen here lining up a putt during action earlier this year.
Photo: Bob Luckey

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Maybe the recent ban on anchored putters will slow down golfer and Greenwich High senior Danny Guise as he climbs his way up the leader board of golf achievement. The competition certainly hasn't. Guise, 18, led GHS to its second straight 21-0 season this spring. Excelling from the No. 1 spot during the regular season, Guise was named the MVP of the FCIAC at the Hap Holahan Invitational last week. Guise also teamed up with GHS junior Paul Pastore to win the recent Chappa Invitational at Longshore Golf Course in Westport. Last year, Guise helped the Cardinals earn an undefeated season and a 2012 CIAC State Title. He also won the 2012 CIAC State Individual Title and was named the 2012 Connecticut State High School Player of the Year.

And now he is packing up his bags and heading for Wake Forest, where he will play collegiate golf at the highest level. Greenwich Citizen caught up with Guise recently to ask him a little about the game he loves and why he joined the Deamon Deacons.

Q: Who or what was your biggest influence in playing golf?

A: I wouldn't have gotten into golf if it wasn't for my dad. When I was really young, I always went to the course where my dad was playing and I would watch him finish. It made me want to play the game because I was itching to get out there with my dad.

Q: When did you finally realize "I wanna pursue golf as a career?"

Growing up, I played four sports: golf, basketball, baseball and soccer. Before I got to the high school, I quit baseball and soccer and stuck with basketball and golf. By that age, I had won some major golf events and I knew that golf was the sport that I wanted to pursue. I have been able to help take golf to the next level and I want to keep going with it.

Q: Who is your favorite player to watch growing up and even today?

A: By far, Phil Mickelson was my favorite player to watch growing up and is without a doubt my favorite player to watch today. When I was a young kid and started to get into golf, my dad told me to watch Phil play and see how he handles himself on the course. He always has a positive attitude and a smile on his face. Nothing bothers him. I admire his game as well. His short game is arguably the best in the history of the game and he can pull off shots that no one can think is possible. I have tried to model my game after his, attitude-wise and skills-wise. He is my role model on the course and always will be.

Q: Why did you choose Wake Forest instead of some of the other offers you received?

A: When I started the process of visiting colleges, my dad told me that I would have that special feeling when I walked onto a campus and I had that feeling when I first visited Wake Forest. Wake became my number one choice over any other school. So many things stood out. The academics at Wake are amazing and will provide me with a great education. The history of the golf program is unbelievable having guys like Arnold Palmer, Curtis Strange, Lanny Watkins, Billy Andrade, Bill Haas and Webb Simpson come out of there and become very successful in the golf world. Also, the facilities they have are not comparable to any other school I visited. They have an entire driving range on campus and their own course right behind the campus. There ar so many resources at Wake and I can't see myself being anywhere else.

Q: What are some of things that you have done to prepare to play at the college level?

A: My whole life I have basically prepared myself to play at the collegiate level. I have traveled all over the country to play in all different types of tournaments. I have recently been playing top amateur events, like the Terra Cotta Invitational, the Northeast Amateur, the Azalea, the United States Amateur and many more to prepare me for what the competition will be like in college. I have a lot of confidence in my game right now and I am looking forward to playing at Wake Forest.

Q: What is your favorite sport to play other than golf?

A: Basketball

Q: Has it ever been a challenge having to balance school and golf?

A: It's never easy to balance a time-consuming sport like golf with school. To me, academics always comes first, so when I got home from school I would get all my homework done and go to practice until it got dark out. I have been able to manage my time very well and there hasn't really been a problem, not even during basketball season.

Q: How supportive have your parents been in this whole process?

A: Without my parents, I would be nowhere near where I am now golf-wise and as a person. My parents have been supportive of me since I was born and have always been there for me. It would have been impossible to travel all over the country for big golf tournaments without them both. They both work hard in their jobs to make money to support me and I am truly thankful for that. Not only are my parents very supportive, but all my grandparents are very supportive, as well. Having a family that supports me so much has helped me get to where I am today without question.

Q: What, to you, is the toughest part of golf?

A: I believe everything about golf is tough. There's nothing easy about this game and there are no areas of the game where you can just take a break and expect it to work out. You constantly have to have the right mental approach when you're playing and you always have to have the heart, drive and desire if you want to succeed at this sport.

Q: What part of your game would you most like to improve?

A: There's no reason why I shouldn't think that every part of my game can improve. No one is perfect, especially in the game of golf. It is physically impossible to have a perfect round of golf. No one has ever done it. I always work on every aspect of my game to make myself better in every way possible. That's the only way to keep going to the next level.

Q: What do you think about golf banning anchored putts?

A: Of course, since I anchor my putter currently, I will be biased towards this question. Obviously, I am not happy with the rules decision. I've used my anchored putter for about two years now. The rule change is disappointing and it will definitely upset a lot of people, but the rule is a rule and I will have to make a switch. I'm not worried at all, though, because I have been messing around with lots of putters recently and I will find a way to putt well without a doubt.